Bits and Pieces
by EroticFriendFictions
Summary: A collection of ficlets. Many will revolve around Tina and Jimmy Junior, but not necessarily all.
1. Overnight

**Overnight**

* * *

Jimmy Junior carefully picked his way across the alley, his eyes straining in the dark to make out Tina's window. Once he found it, he picked up a few pebbles and tossed them up. It took a couple tries before he heard one connect with glass. Three pebble taps later, the window opened and a rope ladder dropped down for him. He quickly scrambled up.

Tina must have been sleeping before he arrived, because she didn't bother to turn on a light for him. By the time he was climbing through the window frame, she was already laying back down in bed, but she had shifted over to one side. Jimmy Junior pulled the ladder back inside and closed the window for her. Then he slipped off his shoes before joining her under the covers.

"Sorry I woke you," he whispered. He settled in and spooned against her, pulling her into his arms and burying his nose in her hair. She shuddered, the chill night air still clinging to his clothes.

"I was having a good dream," she mumbled.

"Sorry."

She felt so warm. He had to resist the urge to roll over completely on top of her to try to soak it all up. He breathed in deeply.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He thought about how his dad came home drunk again and how he'd had to carefully slip past him on his way over.

"Yeah."

Tina hummed in response and shifted against him. He stayed still for a moment, just breathing her in. After a few more seconds, he lightly poked her in the stomach.

"Tina . . ."

He waited a beat, then did it again.

"Tina . . ."

She sighed and rolled over in his embrace, snuggling against his chest and hugging him. A grin split his face, and he bent his head to kiss her crown before settling down again. He paced his breathing so it matched hers, and a feeling of deep contentment filled him. It was times like this that made him understand why Andy and Ollie always shared a bed.


	2. Glasses

**Glasses**

* * *

Linda cried when the pediatrician told them Tina would need glasses.

Bob frowned. It was hard to hear that their precious baby angel wasn't perfect, but at the same time, when they had first started noticing how Tina wouldn't make eye contact with them when they spoke to her, or how she often didn't notice when they moved one of her toys, he had feared it could be something much worse. They could handle glasses. Sure, it was a slight financial burden, and Tina would have to worry about them for the rest of her life, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a huge deal.

"It's going to be okay, Lin," Bob told her, reaching over to hold her hand. In her other arm was Tina, tucked close to her body, blinking vacantly back at her parents. She was so little, she wasn't even a year old. Bob didn't know you could need glasses at that age.

"It's my fault, she got it from me," Linda said, pointing to her own glasses. Bob shook his head. He wasn't even thinking about that.

"It's not your fault."

"I was hoping she would have your eyes."

"She'll be fine, Lin."

His wife didn't look completely convinced, but she stopped her fretting for the time being. And luckily, once Tina got through her first visit to the ophthalmologist and it was time to pick out her glasses, Linda seemed to forget all about it.

"What about these ones, Bobby? Wouldn't she look cute in these?" Linda grabbed yet another pair and held them up to Tina's face. They had been in the optical shop for almost an hour and she was starting to fuss.

"Maybe we should stick to their children's selection, Lin," he suggested lightly.

Eventually they settled on a pair of simple but sturdy black frames. They looked a little big on her now, but the optician assured them that she would grow into them before they knew it.

Once the glasses were made, and Bob placed them carefully on her nose, Tina turned her head slowly back and forth, surveying the room. Her small eyes were suddenly huge, magnified behind her new lenses. She blinked a few times, looking confused, until she finally caught sight of her parents in front of her. Her eyes finally focused on them, and she broke into a huge smile, and Linda immediately smiled back and rushed over to pick her up. Seeing how happy both of them looked right then, Linda cooing over how precious she looked and Tina giggling, Bob let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was right, she was going to be fine. They all would be.


	3. Sorry

**Sorry**

* * *

"Jimmy Junior carefully sidled up to Tina. She huffed a little but otherwise ignored him, refusing to look his way and keeping her arms crossed over her chest. Since she didn't move away, he scooted closer.

"Tina?"

She didn't answer, so he placed one arm around her and nuzzled her cheek. She softened a bit, some of the tension leaving her shoulders, so he pushed forward, brushing his lips against hers. She was only able to resist for a few seconds before she started kissing back, her barriers broken down. She could feel him smiling against her mouth.

"I'm sorry about what I said," he told her as he broke the kiss.

"You take it back?" she asked, her expression turning stern.

"I take it back," he repeated. "The Equestranauts is not the worst show on TV." She grinned and hugged his arm.

"So you'll watch the new episode with me?"

He sighed.


	4. Evening Shopping

**Evening Shopping**

* * *

The quick trip to the grocery store was taking longer than planned. Getting the whipped cream was easy, but there were just so many options for chocolate syrup. Tina stood back to survey the shelves in front of her. The generic brand was cheaper, but the Hershey's chocolate syrup was on sale if she bought two bottles. But would two bottles be too much? She didn't really need two bottles. But then there were also sugar free ones, and organic, and the kind that turn into a hard shell. Probably didn't want that last one, but then again, maybe it would be fun . . . She picked up a couple bottles and studied the labels.

Tina was so absorbed in weighing her options, she didn't hear Mr. Frond approaching until he called out to her, making her jump.

"Tina, hi! It's been so long! How have you been?"

"Uhhhh . . ."

It was true. It had been a few years. She hadn't really seen Mr. Frond after she left Wagstaff for high school. Of all the times she could have run into him, this was not the ideal one. Luckily, he didn't seem to really notice her unease.

"Evening shopping trip just like me, I see. What are you making? Sundaes? I think I have a coupon for ice cream, if you want it. Here, let me get it." He pulled a coupon organizer wallet out of his shopping basket and started riffling through it. Just then, Jimmy Junior came around the corner from the other end of the aisle and held up a box of condoms.

"Hey, I got the ribbed ones you like. Do you think the twenty-four pack is enough for now or should I-" He cut off as soon as he noticed their former guidance councilor was standing there. "Oh, hey, Mr. Frond." He gave a strangled laugh and held the box behind his back.

The three of them just stood there for a few seconds. The whipped cream and the chocolate syrup. The box behind his back. The big night they had planned clearly laid out. Mr. Frond placed his wallet back in his basket.

"I guess you won't be needing that coupon after all."


	5. Kitty

**Kitty**

* * *

Tina was busy shoving clothes into the dresser drawers when Jimmy Junior came in with a box in his hands and a huge grin on his face.

"I got you something."

"Aww!" She stood up and grinned back, eyeing the box as she walked over to him. "You didn't have to do that."

"But it's out first apartment together. I wanted to do something special," he insisted, and he placed the box in her hands. She felt the contents move around inside and she gave him a look. He was still grinning widely. "Open it! Open it!

She chuckled a little at his enthusiasm. He was so cute when he got all excited like this. Suddenly she was more interested in kissing him than seeing what was in the box, but he looked about ready to burst, and whatever it was moved again. She carefully pulled up the flaps. A furry head popped up. Tina looked back at her fiance.

"A kitten?"

He nodded his head vigorously and reached into the box to pick her up.

"Isn't she cute?" He held the kitten up to his face, touching noses with her. Tina could feel the corners of her mouth pulling up into a smile, but she was still trying to remain practical.

"While you were supposed to be buying groceries, you went out and adopted a kitten?"

Jimmy Junior frowned a little and tucked the tiny creature against his chest. "I got the groceries too," he defended. "The pet store was just across the street."

Tina sighed and set the box down on the floor, where it was easily lost among the other boxes of items they had yet to unpack.

"We barely had enough for the deposit on this place," she fretted. "You think we can handle a pet?"

"I know, I know," he said. "But I saw her in the window, and, I don't know. I think if you would just hold her..." She groaned as he dumped the kitten into her arms.

"Jimmy-"

"Just look at her."

Tina did. She was so small, but she felt so warm in her hands. She was nothing like Aunt Gayle's cats, they were always so aloof. Or even that cat Gene secretly used to keep under his bed, the one that always hissed and spit at her whenever she got too close. Tina found herself stroking her soft, calico fur.

"I just thought, I don't know," Jimmy Junior stepped in closer and scratched under the kitten's chin, and she started to purr. "I thought this might be the first step towards being a family." He blushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck.

Tina watched him for a few seconds, her expression soft. She turned and set their new pet down on their bed before wrapping her arms around Jimmy Junior's neck.

"I can't decide who's cuter, you or the cat."

His eyes lit up.

"We can keep her?" Tina giggled and nodded.

"We'll figure something out."

He pulled her in for a kiss, which she eagerly returned. Just as things were starting to heat up, though, he pulled away and rushed back to the bed, scooping up the kitten before she stumbled off the edge. Tina huffed a little, but smiled.

"Now come on, we have to think of a name for her!"


	6. Maze

**Maze**

* * *

Tina ran through the hedge maze, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and Jimmy Jr. and Zeke. In her head she cursed herself for ever separating from her parents. It was a horrible idea. How was she ever going to find her way out now?

She wasn't sure how long she was wandering lost through the maze, but suddenly someone grabbed her arm and pulled her through the bushes to the other side. Jimmy Junior barely gave her enough time to register that it was him before kissing her forcefully. It took her a second to respond and move her mouth against his. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest, and she wasn't sure if it was from shock or desire. He kept a strong grip on her as the kiss deepened and the rest of the world faded away.

"You weren't really gonna choose Zeke, right?" he asked once they parted. She blinked, dazed.

"No." She wasn't.

He nodded. "Good. That's the way out." He pointed and ran off in the other direction, leaving her reeling. After a couple seconds, she shook her head to clear it and set off again, finally going the right way.


	7. Bike

**Bike**

* * *

Jimmy Junior sighed, hopping off of his bike and glancing over it once more. He was going to miss it, no doubt about that, but he shook his head and brought himself out of his wistful thoughts. It didn't matter how much he would miss it.

'You're doing this for Tina,' he reminded himself, and with that he walked through the doors of the bike shop.

The man behind the counter looked up at the boy as he walked in pushing his brown bike. His first thought was that the boy must need it repaired, though he couldn't see anything wrong with it.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"I need to sell my bike," Jimmy Junior answered. "How much will you take for it?"

The man blinked in surprise. While the bike had definitely been used, it was still in very good condition, and it didn't seem like the boy had outgrown it. What reason would he have to sell it?

"You mean you want to trade it in for a new one?" the man asked.

"No, I just want to sell it." Jimmy Junior insisted. The store owner looked him over closely, and he refused to meet his gaze. He could tell there was something odd going on here.

"Why?" he asked. Jimmy Junior still wouldn't look at him.

"I just need the money."

"For what?"

Jimmy Junior grew quiet. He was frustrated that the man wouldn't just buy his bike and get it over with. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to this guy that it was to take a girl out on a date. He blushed at just the thought, but that only served to make the store owner more curious.

"You can tell me kid. I won't go blabbing it to anyone else, I promise," he said. Jimmy Junior found himself sighing over his bike again. Clearly he wasn't going to get anywhere without giving some kind of explanation. So he told him. About Tina, Pie In the Sky, everything. The store owner listened quietly, and he realized that he had seen the boy before when he'd gone out to eat at Jimmy Pesto's. Of course. He should have noticed the family resemblance sooner. He didn't go out to eat there often, but he'd been there enough times to know that Jimmy Pesto was kind of a jerk. No wonder the kid couldn't just go to his dad for money.

"So are you going to buy my bike or not?" Jimmy Junior asked. The man sighed and shook his head, walking back behind the counter. Jimmy Junior followed him over and was about to protest, but before he could, the bike shop owner popped open the register and pulled out several twenty dollar bills.

"Take your girl out on me tonight," he told him, holding out the bills for Jimmy Junior to take. "Keep your bike, chicks like guys with their own ride."

Jimmy Junior just froze, so shocked and unaccustomed to such generosity he didn't know what to do. The man had to come back out from behind the counter and place the money in his hands.

"Make sure she has a great time, okay?"

Jimmy Junior smiled and nodded.

"She will!"

And, not wanting to waste any more time, Jimmy Junior pocketed the money, grabbed his bike, and left, yelling a quick thank you to the store owner before he rode off. He peddled hard all the way home, his heart pounding from exertion and excitement. He was going to give Tina the date she wanted after all! He couldn't wait to pick her up.


	8. Dance Off

**Dance Off**

* * *

It was in the heat of the dance off—in the middle of one of his own moves no less—that Jimmy Junior caught Tina's eye and held up his hands suggestively. She said she wanted nasty, after all.

Tina felt her heart stop for a split second. The way he was looking at her, smirking, one eyebrow slightly raised, and the way he cupped his hands. She'd written enough erotic friend fiction to know what he was getting at. Suddenly she was thinking about what those hands would feel like on her breasts, caressing and squeezing both simultaneously. How he'd roll her nipples under his thumbs. How he'd hitch his leg over her hip. How he'd wear that smirk the entire time.

Damn, did the heat just kick on in this gym?

She held his gaze until Josh pushed forward with his next dance move. Then the moment was over, leaving her feeling weak in the knees and all-over flushed.

It was true that she couldn't choose. She wanted them both that night. But in the days and weeks that followed the incident, Tina found herself thinking back more and more to that particular moment. Jimmy Junior with his hands held out, that prurient glint in his eyes, that evocative smirk on his face. She vowed to herself that one day she would get him to look at her like that again.


	9. Ice Wrestling

**Ice Wrestling**

 _This piece was cowritten with my very good friend Mordaret._

* * *

"I can prove to you how strong I really am," Tina smirked suggestively, glad that the two managed to spend some time alone.

"Oh yeah?" he responded to her with a small, yet intriguing smirk on his face. "Then prove it." He stood in a confident pose before Tina easily pushed him down onto the slippery ice. Luckily, he had padding on behind him, which broke his fall slightly. What he was not expecting was Tina towering over him with a victorious grin on her face. Her hands rested onto the ice.

She looked into his eyes, "Relaxing, huh?" She managed to sit onto his lower abdomen. "Looks like I beat you."

The word "relaxing" danced around in his head for a bit. This was not exactly what he would consider relaxing. Sprawled on his back, Tina on top of him making sure he stayed down, her face with that triumphant smirk filling his vision. Oh he liked it for sure. He might go as far as to say it was exhilarating. But it was not relaxing.

"Looks like you did," he answered her. "You really are strong."

Her grin widened a little at the compliment and she leaned into him a little closer. His heart started hammering against his ribs. Her hands were still on the ice on either side of his head. He was completely trapped beneath her. He couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be in that moment.

"I'm glad you think so," she told him. Her warm breath on his skin was in sharp contrast to the cold ice under them. He had no words to describe the things she was making him feel right then, but all he knew was he wanted to kiss her more than anything else. So he did.

He brought his hands to her face and pulled her down to him, their lips smashing together almost painfully at first, but easing up after a second as they fell into place. Her mouth working against his, her face cradled in his hands, her weight still pressing him down, it was all enough to light a fire in him that he thought for sure would melt the entire freezerdome. When they pulled apart, he couldn't believe the ice was still there.

"Wanna go best two out of three?" he asked.


	10. Jealous

**Jealous**

* * *

Out of nowhere he pulled her in close, his hands gripping tightly at her hips as his mouth crashed onto hers. She struggled to keep up with him at first, shocked by the sudden hunger behind his kiss, but it was so easy to let him carry her away. His tongue slipped past her lips and he held her closer still, pressing her against his chest. After a few more seconds, she pulled away a little, but he was reluctant to let her go, pressing his lips to hers a couple more times before he backed off.

"What was that about?" she asked him. It wasn't like him to make such a move in public.

"Nothing," he said, but he wasn't looking at her. She turned to follow his gaze, and realized their walk home had brought them right across the street from the lot where the kids from the preforming arts school liked to practice. Sure enough, a dance group was there, but she didn't bother to check if Josh was among them. She smirked.

"Worried you'll have to share?" He rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"No."

But he kept one arm draped over her shoulders as the continued on.


	11. Pleasure Reading

**Pleasure Reading**

* * *

Jimmy Junior should have known better.

When he saw the notebook fall out of Tina's backpack as she was leaving class, he should have returned it to her right away. He should not have held onto it. He should not have brought it home with him. When he saw that it fell open to a page with his name written on it, he should not have let curiosity get the better of him.

Of course he remembered the time Tina read a story out loud during lunch, that one that had him in it. He never really thought about whether or not she wrote any more. But he had his answer now.

He read the whole notebook, which included several stories and a few sketches, finding that he was unable to stop once he got started. His face felt heated and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. So this was what Tina thought about when she was alone in her room …

He shifted around uncomfortably. No, don't think about Tina alone in her room.

But the truth was he couldn't help it. After reading that, he couldn't help but think about her, imagine what it would be like to kiss her with no audience, feel her small hands on him, see her sprawled out on her back …

Suddenly his pants were feeling a little too tight.

He would never admit it to anyone, but he'd thought about it before, in his most private moments. It wasn't unpleasant.

Jimmy Junior groaned and rested his head in his hands. How was he ever going to be able to be in the same room with her now, knowing this? How would he be able to think about anything else? She had probably noticed by now that the notebook was missing. She was probably frantic trying to find it. But how would he return it to her now? She'd take one look at him, all flushed and sweaty, and know he read it. Would she be mad?

Somewhere deep down inside him, a voice whispered that if she was, he knew exactly how to make it up to her …

He shot up from his seat and made his way toward the bathroom. He could deal with that a bit later, there was a more pressing matter to attend to now.


	12. Snuggles

**Snuggles**

* * *

Jimmy Junior climbed under the covers and turned off his bedside lamp. Tina didn't move. She was sitting up on her side of the bed, scribbling away in a notebook. Her light was still on. Jimmy Junior scooted closer to her and laid his head in her lap.

"What are you writing?"

"Just some notes for the novel," she said. "I don't want to forget them in the morning."

He turned to look up at her, but she didn't look back. Her eyes started focused on her notes. Eventually, she stopped writing, pausing to read over what she had so far. Jimmy Junior took the opportunity to gently pull down one of her hands and place it on his head. Her fingers automatically curled into his hair, playing with the short strands in that way he loved. His eyes drifted closed and he gave a soft, satisfied hum.

He felt her stomach shake slightly, and he turned to look at her again. Tina had set her notebook aside and was now laughing down at him.

"What?"

"You're worse than the cat," she told him, still scratching his head. He just smiled and turned away.

Tina kept it up for a couple more seconds before she turned off her light and slid down into the bed. Jimmy Junior adjusted his position so his head was cushioned on her chest. To his delight, she went right back to her ministrations.

"My big, snuggly kitty," she whispered affectionately. He hugged her closer, grateful that in the dark she couldn't see how hard he was blushing.


	13. Bowling

**Bowling**

* * *

"Okay, so you're going to do a five-step approach."

"Okay."

"You're going to start from right here," Jimmy Junior pointed with his foot to the dots on the floor. Tina nodded.

"Okay."

"Come here," he asked. She hopped up from her seat, grabbed her ball from the return, and stood right where he indicated. He moved behind her as she brought the ball up and held it at chest level.

"You want to hit the pocket," he told her, his head right next to hers. "That's just to the side of the head pin. Use the arrows to aim." Jimmy Junior pointed down the lane. Tina hardly saw it, all of her senses were turned backwards, towards him.

"Okay."

He stepped in closer and brought his arms around her, his hands coming to rest with hers on the ball, lightly correcting her hold.

"Try to keep your wrist straight when you throw."

He was so close. His head was practically resting on her shoulder and she could feel his warm breath in her ear. Her heart sped up.

"Got it?" he asked. She turned her head to look at him, and suddenly he realized just how near they were.

"Tina?"

"Kiss me."

"What?"

She didn't ask him twice and she didn't give him a chance to back away. She leaned into him, pushing their lips together. He responded almost instantly, moving his mouth against hers eagerly, and she sighed into the kiss.

The moment was broken by a loud thud and they jumped apart. A split second passed before Jimmy Junior scrambled after the bowling ball that slipped out of her hands, catching it before it rolled into another lane. She grinned at him as he handed it back to her.

"Ready to try?" he asked, grinning back.

"I don't know," she said. "I might need some extra instruction."


	14. Emergency Contact

**Emergency Contact**

* * *

Jimmy Junior opened up the door to their apartment and held it while his brothers rushed inside. He moved up the stairs more slowly, pulling at the itchy fake fur of his werewolf costume the whole way up. Now that the night was over, he couldn't wait to take it off. His haul of candy thumped behind him as he dragged it into his room.

Once he had changed into some pajamas, he settled down on his bed and dumped the contents of his trick or treat bag out in front of him. Zeke took him and Andy and Ollie to some of the out skirting neighborhoods in their town, and they actually managed to bring in a fairly decent batch. In among the chocolate bars and lollipops, he found his cell phone.

"So that's where it went," he said to himself. He had thought he dropped it somewhere. The screen blinked with an alert for a new voicemail, and his brow furrowed. Who had called him? He held the phone to his ear to play it.

"Hey Jimmy Junior, it's Tina," the message started. "So my brother and sister and I are all trapped on King's Head Island and it's Hell Hunt, so if you could help that would be great. Thanks! See you soon!" Then there was a harsh dial tone before the message cut off.

He stared at the far wall of his room, trying to figure out what that meant. Why were they on King's Head Island? What was Hell Hunt?

It wasn't the first time he had gotten a weird phone call from her. He had been equally confused the other times and hadn't been able to offer her much help, so he wasn't sure why she kept turning to him with these problems. She was better at handling crises than he ever was. Still, he couldn't help but worry as he listened to the message again.

After internally debating with himself for a few seconds, he picked his phone back up and called her. She answered immediately after the first ring, and she recounted her night's adventures to him. Once it was clear that she was okay, he flopped back onto his pillows, surprised at how relieved he was. Yet again, she hadn't needed the help she asked for. Good thing, too, since he didn't even answer the phone in time. If something bad really had happened, well, he wasn't sure what he would do then.

Jimmy Junior closed his eyes and propped the phone against his ear so he could keep listening to her story. As she described their desperate escape, he made a vow to himself that, if the time ever came that she really did need him, he wouldn't miss that call.


	15. Make Me

**Make Me**

* * *

"Tina, come on, this is the sixth Equestranauts episode in a row," Jimmy Junior whined.

"I invited you over for the marathon," Tina said. "What were you expecting?"

"Well, yeah," he said. "But six episodes without a break is too much. Can we watch something else for a bit?"

"But this is a good episode!"

"You've said that about all of them so far!"

"They're showing all the pre-reboot stuff, it's all good."

"Can you just change the channel for like ten minutes?" he asked.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Oh come on!"

"Come over here and make me," she challenged.

It was like the energy in the room changed. She stared him down, a hard glint in her eyes, and it was rousing something in him. He eyed the remote control on the arm of the couch beside her.

"Don't think I won't," he warned.

"Try it."

He only hesitated for a second before he lunged at her. He tried to hold her back with one hand and swipe the remote with the other, but she saw the move before he got there and braced for him while tucking the remote somewhere behind her. He tried to slip his arms around her to get it, but she just pressed in closer to the corner of the couch.

Jimmy Junior eventually managed to pry her from the corner only for her to drag him down off the couch and to the floor. The bowl of popcorn perched precariously on the edge of the coffee table spilled out as they rolled and hit one of the legs. Tina still somehow managed to keep the remote control in her grasp. It didn't make any sense. He was the one who was formerly on the school's wrestling team, and yet she was the one who was freakishly strong. None of his moves seemed to work. It was time to try a different tactic.

He rolled them again, and once he was on top of her, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. The effect was nearly instantaneous. She only tensed in surprise for a second before she was kissing back, turning suddenly docile underneath him. The one hand she was using to try to push him off was now being used to pull him in closer. Jimmy Junior had automatically closed his eyes in the kiss, but now he cracked one open to try to watch for her grip to loosen on the prize. He let his tongue slide against hers, and when she moaned in approval he wasn't able to stop himself from smirking against her mouth.

Jimmy Junior didn't know if that was what tipped her off or if she really was just that good, but seconds later, when he tried again to make a grab for the remote, she was ready for him. Tina slipped out from beneath him and moved back up to her spot on the couch, leaving him to fall flat on the floor.

He pushed himself up enough to look at her, and now she was the one smirking. Jimmy Junior supposed he could be mad about it, but what he was feeling was closer to admiration for her more than anything else. Besides, in a way he had gotten the break he wanted, so all he did was huff a little for show and move back to the couch beside her.


	16. I'm In

**I'm In**

* * *

"Hey, Lin?" Bob's whisper broken the stillness of the night.

"She's sleeping," Linda mumbled in response.

"Why don't we just run away together?" he asked. She sighed and rolled over onto her back.

"Because you hate running," she answered. "Go back to sleep."

"No, I'm serious," he said. "I looked at this place a few days ago. I have just enough savings to make the deposit. It could be perfect for us."

Linda laid there for several seconds without moving or saying anything.

"Lin? Did you fall back to sleep?"

She pushed herself up into a sitting position on her bed, turning on the nearest lamp and putting her glasses back on. He sat up as well.

"This is not the kind of conversation you have at three in the morning, Bob," she told him.

"Sorry."

"You're really serious?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," he said. "What's stopping us?"

Linda frowned and looked at her left hand where her engagement ring was supposed to be. She supposed the day of reckoning couldn't be put off forever, but she certainly hadn't planned on needing to make a decision in the middle of the night like this.

"I- I love you, Linda," Bob started talking again. "I know we haven't been seeing each other for that long, and I know I don't have much. After I put the deposit down on this place I'll have even less, but I want to share this with you."

The look in his eyes was too intense, and she had to turn away for a moment to think. It would break Hugo's heart if she up and left like that. Her mom and dad would probably be just about ready to kill her once they learn about it. Leaving a guy they wholeheartedly approved of for one they never even met. It was crazy. She wasn't crazy. And yet …

She was already cheating on Hugo. She was already doing something her parents would disapprove of. Really, in a way, she already did run away with Bob, in all but the very literal sense. And it felt so right, in a way that it never really did with Hugo, though she hated to admit it. Hugo was safety and security. He knew where he was heading and he didn't ask questions. He could provide for her financially. But Bob, he had a vision, he had goals to achieve and things to prove. He had talent and spark. And in that way, he could provide things that Hugo never could.

"I mean, I can show you the place first," Bob went on. Linda blinked and returned to the present, and wondered how long Bob had been talking while she was lost in her own thoughts. "You shouldn't have to make a decision without seeing it. It wouldn't be fair-"

She held up one hand to stop him.

"It would take up your whole savings?" she asked.

"Yes."

"You're willing to give all of that up for this?"

"Yes."

Linda held his gaze for a couple seconds. She knew how long he had worked to save up all of that. And he was willing to lay it all down for a dream. A dream that included her.

"This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you've ever had," she told him. "Of course I'm in."

She swore the grin he gave her when she said those words could outshine the sun.


	17. Jealous II

**Jealous II**

* * *

"What was Lenny doing at your house all weekend?"

Tina shut her locker door to find Jimmy Junior standing behind it, looking cross.

"What?"

"I saw him going in and out of your place Saturday and Sunday, and I know he wasn't there just for burgers," Jimmy Junior said.

Tina frowned. It was true, Lenny had been over, but it was to see Gene, not her. And Gene had been very clear that Lenny didn't want anyone to know about that yet.

"Don't worry-"

"You know he's dating half the school, don't you?" he interrupted. "That's really what you want?"

"Wait a minute. Are you jealous?" A tiny grin was fighting its way onto her face, but she tried to hide it.

"Pshh, no," he scoffed. He lowered his eyes to the floor.

"Jimmy-"

"I just think you could do better."

"Like who?" she asked. He turned red and refused to meet her gaze. Tina took a step closer to him. "You don't have to worry about Lenny, okay? He's not my type." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're still my favorite."

The warning bell rang, signaling one minute until class starts. Tina gave him one last look before she hurried off. Jimmy Junior watched her go, a small smile on his face.


	18. Headache

**Headache**

* * *

Tina rubbed her temples, then her forehead. The tension seemed to surround her, pressing on her skull like a too tight headband. It was becoming unbearable. The fact that they were in a loud movie theater didn't help matters any.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jimmy Junior asked in a whisper. She sighed heavily.

"Yeah, just a headache," she told him. "I didn't bring any aspirin with me."

"Oh, um," he shifted around in his seat a little. She looked so uncomfortable, and he didn't want to cut their date short because of this. He felt compelled to do something. "Maybe I can help?"

"Do you have aspirin?" she asked.

"No." He frowned.

"Then what?"

"Do you… Well… I mean… I could give you a massage?" Jimmy Junior rubbed the back of his neck, feeling increasingly awkward. He kind of wished he hadn't said anything, but he felt weird watching her try to rub the pain away herself. He knew it worked better if it was someone else.

"You'd really do that?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, I guess," he answered. "I mean, you've done it for me before."

"I have," she agreed, but she was still surprised by his offer. She gave him massages a couple times before when he got sore from dancing, but she never thought he'd try to return the favor.

"You know how?"

He paused. Was there anything to know? People in the rows in front of them were starting to turn and glare, so he didn't want to ask.

"Sure?"

"Okay," she agreed. She didn't really care either way. He was willing to help, and she wasn't about to turn that down.

The two of them scooted closer together in their seats, and she leaned over towards him. Jimmy Junior was glad they chose seats in the back row, he wasn't sure he would feel comfortable doing this if they were sitting where other people could see. They had only just started officially dating a few weeks ago, and he was still adjusting to being affectionate in public. Hesitantly, he brought his hands up to either side of her head and pressed his fingertips to her temples, like he'd seen her do to herself moments ago. He rubbed in small circles.

"Is this okay?" he whispered.

"Yes," she told him. The second he touched her, she started feeling better, and now all she wanted to do was close her eyes and relax into him. So carefully, she did.

Jimmy Junior stiffened a little and stopped what he was doing as Tina shifted and leaned over more so she was resting against his shoulder. This placed him in an awkward position and forced him to change methods, but he still reached up with one hand and started stroking her hair on the one side of her head he now had access to. She sighed again, but this time it sounded softer.

"That's nice, Jimmy," she mumbled to him. "Thank you."

He blushed and smiled, but didn't answer her, just kept up his ministrations. Before too long, he stopped feeling self-conscious about it and relaxed with her, focusing on the pleasant weight of her head on his shoulder and the soft strands of her hair between his fingers. When the lights came up in the theater once again, it was like they were both coming out of a trance.

When they were asked later how the movie was, neither of them had an answer.


End file.
